IRIN HIV/AIDS Weekly - 282
Africa
5 May 2006


NEWS:

AFRICA: African leaders prepare AIDS battle plan
SOUTH AFRICA: Small clinic at centre of debate over traditional
   medicine
SOUTHERN AFRICA: AIDS voices least heard - study

LINKS

1. AIDS
2. Johns Hopkins AIDS Service

VACANCIES

1. HIV/AIDS Manager - Ganta, Liberia



NEWS


AFRICA: African leaders prepare AIDS battle plan

African heads of state meeting in the Nigerian capital Abuja on Thursday 
were expected to draw up a joint plan to tackle the AIDS pandemic, 
tuberculosis and malaria - the continent's three biggest killers.

"We must take up the challenge of working as a group with the 
international community to find a lasting solution to the disease which 
is a major concern to mankind," said Republic of Congo President Denis 
Saso Nguesso.

More details:
http://www.plusnews.org/AIDSreport.asp?ReportID=5924


SOUTH AFRICA: Small clinic at centre of debate over traditional medicine

Over the past few months, hundreds of people have been streaming into an 
office building in Pinetown, on the outskirts of South Africa's east 
coast city of Durban, looking for the clinic that sells 'ubhejane' - a 
herbal mixture they believe can treat HIV/AIDS.

The controversial traditional medicine has received vast media coverage, 
mainly due to the backing it has received from influential political 
figures such as the country's health minister, Dr Manto 
Tshabalala-Msimang, and provincial health officials in KwaZulu-Natal.

Tshabalala-Msimang and KwaZulu-Natal's health minister, Peggy Nkonyeni, 
reportedly recommended to the mother of the deputy president, who runs a 
hospice in Durban, that she should give ubhejane to her patients. The 
city's mayor, Obed Mlaba, is also supporting the herbal remedy, and is 
sponsoring its supply to patients at a hospice in Inchanga, a rural 
village about 40km from Durban.

But ubhejane, a dark brown liquid sold in old plastic milk bottles, has 
yet to undergo clinical trials to test its efficacy. All that has so far 
been confirmed, according to tests by the University of KwaZulu Natal's 
(UKZN) medical school, is that it is not toxic.

More details:
http://www.plusnews.org/AIDSreport.asp?ReportID=5911


SOUTHERN AFRICA: AIDS voices least heard - study

The voices and gender dimensions of HIV/AIDS in Southern Africa are not 
well reflected by the media, according to a study released on Wednesday, 
World Press Freedom Day.

For a month during 2005, the 'HIV and AIDS and Gender Baseline Study' by 
Gender Links and the Media Monitoring Project (MMP) covered 118 media 
houses and monitored 37,000 news items in 11 Southern African 
Development Community (SADC) countries.

MMP director William Bird, who presented the findings in Johannesburg, 
South Africa, told PlusNews that only three percent of all items 
actually focused on or mentioned the epidemic.

More details:
http://www.plusnews.org/AIDSreport.asp?ReportID=5932


LINKS

1. AIDS

The website of 'AIDS', the official journal of the International AIDS 
Society, which publishes the latest research on the pandemic.

Of all AIDS-related journals, 'AIDS' has the highest impact and is read 
by top international clinicians and researchers.

Access the site: http://www.aidsonline.com


2. Johns Hopkins AIDS Service

This website serves as a resource for physicians and other healthcare 
professionals providing care and treatment to patients living with 
HIV/AIDS.

Access the site: http://www.hopkins-aids.edu



VACANCIES

The International Rescue Committee (IRC), a US-based relief NGO, seeks 
the services of an experienced HIV/AIDS manager to help oversee their 
anti-AIDS programme in Ganta, Liberia.

If interested, please apply online at: www.IRCjobs.org

Reference Code: RW_6PGMZN-23


IRIN-SA
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Fax: +27 11 784-6759
Email: IRIN-SA@irin.org.za


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